Commonwealth Games 2018: Badminton’s new service rule will not be used in Gold Coast

Amidst all the doping violations the Indian contingent is going through, there is a good news for the badminton squad. The Commonwealth Games Federation has decided to scrap the ‘new service’ rule for the Gold Coast Games, hence the old rules will be put into effect in the tournament.

The new service mandates the players that the shuttle should be kept exactly at 1.15 meters above the ground at the time of service. This was implemented in the recently concluded All England Championship and came under heavy criticism. Besides the Indian athletes, the likes of Viktor Axelsen of Denmark and two-time Olympic champion Lin Dan of China voiced their concern over it.

Those raising their voices against the rules are of the belief that keeping the shuttle 1.15 meters above the ground gives shorter players an advantage over the taller athletes like PV Sindhu and Axelsen. Sindhu went vocal of her criticism of the rule given that it was put into effect in a prestigious tournament like All England Championships. She believed that the shuttlers should have had given more time to adapt or to practice the same.

The Commonwealth Games will have its opening ceremony on April 4 and will kick off a day later. In a recent statement by the officials, they quoted that the new service rule will not be used in the Gold Coast Games. The game will be played with the old rules where the shuttle is to be kept above the waist height at the time of service.

“The Commonwealth Games Federation and the Badminton World Federation have agreed that the new service rules will not be used during the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games,” said a message communicated to the national associations.